Collect Your Ticks- Michigan Tech’s Tick Project

Ticks are starting to come out with the melting of the snow.

Michigan Tech is putting on a crowdsourcing project to collect ticks in the area. The goal is to identify the prevalence of tick-borne diseases and illnesses in the area.

From May 1 to Sept. 30, you can bring any ticks you find on you, your family and pets to the collection boxes on the Michigan Tech campus. You can find the collection boxes at the main entrance of the U.J. Noblet Forestry Building, and the lobby of the Great Lakes Research Center.

Preserve the tick by placing it in a ziploc bag. Ticks from the same place can be placed in the same bag, and must be dropped off within 8 hours unless frozen.

Here’s how to remove ticks from yourself and others, according to Michigan Tech’s report. 

1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. 
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this does happen, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers if possible. If not possible, leave it alone and let the skin heal. 
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. 
4. Never crush a tick with your fingers.